The Qualification of Elementary Teachers

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3. The Qualification of Elementary Teachers

However, the factor that can affect the success of EYL program is the schools need to provide well-trained teachers as role models in the class. Teacher is the key point in any child’s education. Often, teachers have taught adolescents or adults, but they do not have any special training on how to teach children Kirkgöz, 2009. Teaching young learners is quite different with teaching older learners. According to Cameron 2001, children lose interest more quickly, and they are less able to keep motivated on tasks they find difficult. They also do not have the same access as older learners to meta-language that teachers use to explain about grammar or discourse. Based on my personal experience in teaching practicum as a student-teacher at SD Kristen Satya Wacana 2015, when I taught the first grade students, I found that students were mostly busy with their stationeries, talked with their friends even fought in the class. Therefore, I tried to use songs, pictures and everything that could attract students’ attention. Teacher is a key point of student academic success, so the teacher should effectively and clearly deliver their knowledge to the students. Musthafa 2003 asserts that primary students need enough exposure, support, engagement, and teachers’ confidence and capabilities to be successful learners. As teachers, Defianty and Nafisah 2008 on their paper titled “Portrait Of Eyl Teachers: Their Competence and Performance” added that a competent elementary teacher should understand how young learners learn. They tend to like pictures, physical movement, and real things. Therefore, EYL teachers should be able to formulate a good lesson plan as their guidance. Unfortunately, the teacher has mastered 10 English but without the knowledge in teaching English for elementary school. According to Chodijah 2008, a widely reported problem is gap between the supply of qualified teachers and their requirement as programs expand. Chodijah also mentioned that some countries have to rely on teachers who are not trained to be young learner teachers. Moreover, teaching young learners is not easy because based on Holešinská’s study 2006, the teacher should pay attention on some factors that affect students’ motivation in class such as physical appearance of the classroom. It forces the teacher to use attractive A.V.A a lot where the students can hear, see and listen. Then, the atmosphere in the lessons classroom is also important to keep students’ motivation. Teachers should know how to make children feel comfortable in teaching and learning process. It means that teachers should make activities that involve children in, so they will not feel bored. Besides, when the students have finished their assignments, the teacher should appreciate their effort to finish it. It does not matter how good or bad their works are, but at least they have tried. Moreover, teachers also should pay attention with their attitude towards children. The teachers also should be able to support their communication with the students through the use of gesture, facial expression, and action because these give them clues to the meaning of what they hear or read. This helps them to become familiar with the scheme of their second language which is different with their first language Tough, 1984 11

4. Research Result from Previous Study